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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25882636">What're Gods to Do?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyCpher/pseuds/IvyCpher'>IvyCpher</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Road to El Dorado (2000)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, M/M, Mythology - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:02:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25882636</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvyCpher/pseuds/IvyCpher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tulio is unnerved by what happened during his and Miguel's second day as gods in El Dorado. He asks Chel to explain to them more about the gods who they're supposed to be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chel/Tulio (Road to El Dorado), Miguel/Tulio (Road to El Dorado)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>152</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What're Gods to Do?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Walking up all those stairs to his and Miguel’s temple did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>get easier the more Tulio did it. In fact, each time he even looked at all those steps he felt his stomach clench and his feet already begin to hurt. But then, after their giant slip up with Xiabalba, Tulio couldn't think of anything more than all of the gold they had lost. He was so lost in his own mind that he didn’t even notice the dreaded steps as he ascended them with Miguel and Chel. All of that gold that had just been carelessly tossed into a giant whirlpool alone would have been enough for him and Miguel to live like royalty back in Spain- or hell, anywhere their thieving hearts desired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although the gold really wasn't a major issue with how the people of El Dorado tossed it around, and how they were ‘gods’, Tulio knew there was more of it to come. Besides, for all the gold that had been chucked into the spirit world he saw hefty women carrying at least double that amount back to their temple. Gold, gold wasn't the problem. The problem was that he and Miguel were impersonating two gods that they knew nothing about. Any random thing they said could possibly be the thing that opened the native peoples' eyes about them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tzekel-Kan, as eager as he seemed to please the gods, was just too insightful and keen to murder his own people at a moments notice for Tulio's liking. He knew that he and Miguel wouldn't be able to talk their way out of what would probably be certain death if that guy found them out. Tzekel-Kan was unnerving and unsettling and Tulio didn't trust him as far as he could throw him. That's why he wanted to at least try to make it so he and Miguel wouldn't be caught unawares in all the godly mumbo-jumbo surrounding them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Upon reaching the top of the steps to their cool, shaded temple, Tulio let out a long breath and felt his heart pound away in his chest. Chel and Miguel had beaten him to the top of the temple. He could see them inside, sitting on poofy pillows on the floor and chatting. A quick thought ran across his mind at how they could be so careless about their precarious situation. One wrong move and they were done for… But Miguel never was one to think long term with their plans, he almost always got distracted one way or another. Chel on the other hand, she seemed to know her way around a con, that was obvious enough, but Tulio still couldn’t pin down her motivation for their conning of her own people. Nevertheless, Tulio was more concerned with how Chel could help them than her motives </span>
  <em>
    <span>for </span>
  </em>
  <span>helping them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he stepped into the temple, Tulio wiped his hands off on his shirt. He stepped around the large piles of golden knickknacks and other things that would be worth a fortune in any country that used gold as currency to sit on a poofy pillow next to Miguel. He put a hand on Miguel’s knee to get his attention, but he just kept on talking to Chel. After a moment more of being ignored, Tulio loudly cleared his throat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chel and Miguel quickly stopped talking to look at Tulio curiously, “Are you alright?” Miguel asked, finally taking notice of Tulio’s hand on his knee. “You sound like that time you had the flu.” He lightly put his hand over Tulio’s but hurriedly pulled it away after casting a glance to Chel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Tulio asked confusedly. “Why-? No,” He shook his head, “No, I’m fine.” Then he stopped, “Actually, no, I’m not fine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We’re </span>
  </em>
  <span>not fine.” He picked up his hand and gestured between him and Miguel. “I was thinking about what happened down there,” He pointed over his shoulder. “That whole She-Bala mess or whatever it’s called-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crossing her arms, Chel butt in. “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Xiabalba </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it’s not a mess. I got you two out of that little problem just fine.” She raised her hands and motioned around the temple at all of the gold. “You still got gold, just like you wanted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She does have a point, Tulio-” Began Miguel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a roll of his eyes, Tulio spoke. “Yeah, but so do I.” He shook his head, sighing. “Chel, while it is good that you got us out of that mess, the whole problem is that we were in it in the first place.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I tried to tell you what it was, but a ‘servant’ to the gods isn’t really supposed to be pulling them aside and telling them what to do.” Huffed Chel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ay dios mio-” Tulio groaned. “I’m not picking on you for this! All I’m saying is, if you want to show your worth to this scam, then you ought to at least tell us about these gods we’re pretending to be!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miguel nervously looked between Tulio and Chel who were glaring at each other, “Well- I have been interested in these guys.” He said carefully. “There are carvings and things of them everywhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chel’s glare softened when she looked at Miguel, he gave her the look he always gave Tulio when he badly wanted something. To Tulio’s surprise, the look worked on her and she sighed loudly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Grumbled Chel, she sat up straighter and put her hands on her thighs. “I guess I did say I would tell you what you needed to know to not be executed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That you did,” Said Tulio under his breath, warranting an elbow in the ribs from Miguel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rolling her eyes, Chel continued. “The gods you two are pretending to be are the creators of this Earth. They’re lovers who are-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, wait, wait-” Miguel interrupted, throwing up his hands. “That’s allowed here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chel shot Miguel a puzzled look, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Allowed?</span>
  </em>
  <span>” She asked, scrunching up her nose. “They’re gods, I don’t know what you mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Continuing, Miguel shook his head. “Yeah, in Spain two men aren’t allowed to-” He moved his hands around, “Be together. That’s allowed here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still looking confused, Chel shrugged softly. “This isn’t Spain.” She said unsurely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tulio could sense that the conversation was going to get derailed into a subject that was nowhere near what they should be talking about. “We’re getting off the subject,” He ran his hand down his face tiredly, really not wanting to have to explain what the Chatholic Church was and what it did to sodomites like he and Miguel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a click of his tongue, Miguel cast Tulio an apologetic glance. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even though she looked like she had more questions, Chel continued after a moment. “They’re rarely seen apart.” She exhaled, “They made the Earth, like I said, and they gave it life. But El Dorado was the first part of the Earth they created, the perfect, hidden city. They made gold flow like water and told us to use it to honour them and for our own purposes, that’s why it’s everywhere.” She shrugged. “They made the Earth because even in their love for another, they were bored. They thought that humans and every other living creature,” Just then, Bibo crawled up to her side and she picked him up and put him in her lap. “But especially </span>
  <span>armadillos- were funny. And happy with the Earth they made, they vowed to one day visit El Dorado and to stay for a thousand years to experience every joy that everyone- from the golden butterfly, to the humans, and to even the rolling armadillo had had.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence between them all for a moment while Miguel and Tulio processed what Chel had said. Tulio was still thinking over the gods when Miguel spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean- they don’t sound too bad but is that </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>you know about them?” Asked Miguel slowly. “It just seems very vague- like… What were they </span>
  <em>
    <span>like?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like a person can just ask the gods questions. What do you want to do? Take a dive into </span>
  <span>Xiabalba and ask them about themselves?” Shaking her head, Chel put Bibo down and stood up. “Common people like me don’t know much about the gods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Tulio asked, standing up too. Beside him, Miguel also stood up. “For having giant stone carvings of them everywhere, you think you’d know more.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Quickly smoothing out her skirt, Chel looked between Miguel and Tulio. “Only priests like Tzekel-Kan are allowed access to the sacred texts about the gods.” She blew her bangs out of her face, “They interpret the texts and tell us what they mean, but ever since Tzekel-Kan became the high priest he hasn’t allowed the other priests to share much information with the people. So the only ones besides him and the other priests who know more about the gods are the older people of El Dorado.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Miguel and Tulio shared a questioning look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why don’t you just ask the older people then?” Miguel asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t think some people have tried?” Turning around from them both with a sigh, Chel maneuvered around the piles of gold in the temple and sat outside. Once Tulio and Miguel were sitting on either side of her, she started talking again. “</span>
  <span>Tzekel-Kan wants the only line of information about the gods to be from him, you’re punished if you ask others about them and you don’t...” She hesitated, “He isn’t light with those punishments, trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tulio looked over the beautiful city below them and shook his head. “When you look close it doesn’t seem much like the golden paradise those gods made it to be.” He mumbled. After a brief hesitation, he put his hand on her shoulder. “That guy is a real piece of work.” When he touched her, Chel gave Tulio a wry smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t Chief Tannabok do something?” Miguel questioned, leaning forward to look at both Chel and Tulio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking away from Tulio, Chel shook her head. “Technically, Tzekel-Kan is above Tannabok socially. But they work in different areas of the community so they can’t really-” She gestured vaguely, “Punish each other for what they do in their own areas if it doesn’t affect what they have control over.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Biting his lip, Tulio thought for a moment. “Well </span>
  <em>
    <span>who </span>
  </em>
  <span>can do something about </span>
  <span>señor crazy priest?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she looked down at El Dorado, Chel briefly went quiet. Then a giant grin crossed her face and she stood up so quickly that Tulio and Miguel jumped back in surprise. “The gods can,” She said, spinning around to face them. Smiling deviously, she extended them her hands. “What do you say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my lords?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She questioned in a fake, </span>
  <span>Tzekel-Kan sounding voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After sharing a look that lasted less than a second to read each other on the situation, both Miguel and Tulio stood up and grabbed Chel’s hands with a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It goes off the plan but-” Began Tulio.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Buuut,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Miguel cut him off. “Some divine intervention is really needed here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Squeezing their hands, Chel then gave them both a tight hug. “Who would have thought that you could fit so much good into a scam?” She laughed, letting go of their hands and walking past them, back into the temple.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a grin, Tulio jokingly jabbed Miguel in the ribs. “And who would have thought that our next job would paint us to be the good guys?” He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Laughing softly, Miguel grabbed Tulio’s hand. “Or </span>
  <em>
    <span>gods?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or gods.” Tulio’s grin softened.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Do I write niche things or do I write niche things? Hhhhh, I love this movie but it's so old and like no one knows about it.</p><p>Comments are very much appreciated!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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